


The Gambit

by oxfordRoulette



Category: Gentleman Bastard Sequence - Scott Lynch
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 11:54:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2811098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oxfordRoulette/pseuds/oxfordRoulette
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ezri's got a plan to get Locke.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Gambit

**Author's Note:**

  * For [gamerfic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/gamerfic/gifts).



Jean was searching the undercastle for frayed hemp he could use for a minor repair when his senses pricked. He jerked his head, looking around the room, but all barrels were in place and alchemical lanterns showing no sign of intrusion. He shrugged, turned back to his spot, and continued to look.

Ezri swung down backwards from the ceiling like a pendulum, knees interlocked with the netting, and came nose to nose with her beloved. Jean blinked at her upside down face, hair thrown over her head.

When he parted the sea of dark curls to look at her, he found she was grinning like a madman. "Ezri, is there a point to attempting to surprise me as I cross the deck by my lonesome? You look like a slab of butchered meat."

"Fuck off," she said. With some effort, she wriggled her hand under one of her colorful sashes strapped across her stomach. "I've got a plan to trick Ravelle, really good, and I'd absolutely love your help."

Jean waggled a good-humored finger at her in a mockery of scolding. "Me? That's not a very intelligent proposition, I could be a double agent. I could turn on you at any second."

Ezri held out her arms like she was presenting herself. "Oh! Betrayal! Haven’t you heard Mouril? ‘Love of the lady worth more than the crib of the brother?’”

“I believe you’re misconstruing that, it’s the other way-”

“Shhh,” she pressed her finger to his lips. “What’s said is said.”

He gave her a sly smile under the weight of her pointer finger. When she lifted it, he said, “Alright. What, pray tell, is your daring plan?”

Ezri held out whatever she dug out of her sash. It appeared to be a set of two fairly normal looking dice. She waggled her eyebrows, a task that did not get across the emotional effect she was hoping for due to her upside down state. “I’ve acquired weighted dice.”

“He won’t fall for that in a minute. The man knows dice like he knows the lack of a woman’s touch.”

“Would that be ‘very well’ or ‘not at all,’ because it could really go either way…”

“The latter.”

“Well, that’s a fact I won’t soon forget. Excellent. Although I wouldn’t jump ass-first into these assumptions you’ve got, you haven’t heard my plan yet! Of course he would notice these dice are loaded, they’re fairly obvious, even an unskilled farmer would be able to pick up on it.”

She held out her hand, and Jean took the dice. They were fairly heavy, clearly biased towards the lower numbers. “I don’t know… I don’t think I can tell.”

She gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “Oh shut up, you ass.”

“So, you’ve got some clearly biased dice, and a thief who will possibly be able to smell the fact you’re cheating from two miles away, if, in fact, he hasn’t already caught a whiff of your deception. Entirely possible.”

“Don’t worry, he stinks enough I don’t think he can catch anything past the length of his ungainly body.” Ezri looked up at where her knees were interlocked to the ceiling of the ship. “Hold on, all the blood’s going straight to my head in a rush, I might swoon into you like a sweet maiden.”

“I’d enjoy the sight of that.”

“More likely, I’d just throw a fit and fall on top of you in a hilarious pile. Help me down.”

She held her arms out to him, and he took her into a strong hug, as her face was planted into his stomach. She unhooked her knees, then scrambled down the length of him to the floor like she was crawling down a ladder. When she reached the ground, she stood, brushing off her sashes.

Jean watched her straighten out. “You have an interesting way of getting down from high places.”

“It’s a learned skill, one you wouldn’t know, since you’re essentially the height of the mast on deck.”

“I’m that tall? Really? I never knew.”

She grinned, then stood on her tip-toes to quickly kiss him, arms sliding up against his chest. “Let’s continue with the plan!”

“Of course, Ezri. I could never forget how we’re going to fuck over my most important friend in the world.”

“It’s just a slight fucking. A gentle fucking. A bend you over and make love from behind to you fucking.” She paused to laugh a little at her own joke, then continued on. “Alright, so, the dice are loaded, and he’ll know. We make a bet clearly in our favor, and he’ll bet against us.”

“Am I a part of this betting table? Remember the double agent thing? I could have a knife under my leg and stab you in the back.”

“Of course you could, I’m willing to place my fate in your hands, good man. This fine lady trusts you not to jam any metaphorical knifes into her spinal cord.” She paused to made a mock swooning pose at him. “And we make a bet for something silly, perhaps one of our chores, that he’s going to have to pick up when he loses terribly.”

“And how will he lose terribly when the dice are weighted?”

“I swap out the dice for a normal pair, sneakily and with my devious pirating tricks!” She said, giving a triumphant little jump. “I'm very good at this sort of thing, having played quite a few dice games with cheating, cocksucking scumbags. Of course, the entire plan is contingent on you being there, because he trusts you. It’s the perfect crime.”

“Ah, so I twist my knife into his back instead of yours, is that it?”

She winked at him, all smiles and genuineness. “Yes. My back will much appreciate it.”

Jean thought about this, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling. “Well, your back is much more attractive than my ill-proportioned friend, I have to admit. I’d prefer to keep it safe for future endeavors.”

“So are you in?”

She leaned towards him, bracing herself on his strong body, looking eagerly for his reaction. He sighed, resigned to his fate. “I’m in.”

She gave a silent “Yes” before jumping up, throwing her arms around his shoulders, and kissing him so passionately it was undeserved of the underside of a ship. Afterwards, she planted her feet on the ground, saluted him mockingly, and sprung out of the undercastle through the venting.

Jean sighed to himself, shaking his head as though to diffuse her silliness, then continued on with his interrupted task.


End file.
